Their jackets smelled of the fruits of the orchards - Elul days in Zhabne
“Elul Days in a Rebbe’s Court in Galitsiye” by Menashe Unger Originally published in "Der Tog-Morgn Zhurnal" (New York City) September 1, 1957 translation by Rokhl Kafrissen Writing in 1957, Menashe Unger looks back on his childhood days in the shtetl of Zhabne/Zabno , in what was then Austro-Hungary. He was probably around 10 years old at the time of the events he recounts, so that would make it somewhere around 1910. Writing about hasidim and the hasidic world was Unger’s bread and butter as a working writer, and this essay is an excellent example. I've used this piece to teach about Elul for the last two years. I love sharing it with students because it brings us right into Unger’s world: the tastes, smells, and sounds of Elul seem to waft off the page. I also love it for the delicious juxtaposition of the seriousness of the season next to the hijinks of Unger and his pals. There is the indoor, spiritual world of Unger’s father, the Rebbe, and the o...